2011 NFL Preview

The most wonderful time of any year is finally upon us, people: Fall, aka football season. The 2011 offseason was short and completely insane thanks to the lockout, and thus should make this coming season sloppier and less predictable than previous ones. Still, I will try guide you as best I can through what should happen during this NFL season. Here we go.

DIVISION PREDICTIONS

AFC East
1. New England Patriots (13-3)
2. New York Jets (10-6)
3. Miami Dolphins (5-11)
4. Buffalo Bills (3-13)

After the dominant regular season the New Englad Patriots had in 2010, plus with all of the risky but likely beneficial acquisitions they made this offseason (Chad Ochocinco and Albert Haynesworth in particular), this could be the year Tom Brady finally wins another Super Bowl. It's going to happen at some point before he retires, and the way that Bill Belichick can coach disgruntled ex-greats, the time is pretty much now. I am still not convinced by Rex Ryan and his bold, obnoxious claims. The New York Jets are a fine time, with a potentially championship winning defense, but Mark Sanchez cannot really be the answer, can he? The Miami Dolphins will probably come back down from Planet Mediocrity, and actually be pretty bad this year. The Buffalo Bills showed some promise last year on offense, but they made no improvements and I see them playing at pretty much the exact same level. Perhaps Andrew Luck will save the day for them next year.

AFC North
1. Pittsburgh Steelers (12-4)
2. Baltimore Ravens (12-4)
3. Cleveland Browns (4-12)
4. Cincinnati Bengals (3-13)

I think it's safe to say that we once again can expect an excrutiatingly tight race between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Baltimore Ravens. I am way into Pittsburgh's well-balanced offense and think they have something really special in the trio of Ben Roethlisberger, Rashard Mendenhall and Mike Wallace. The defense showed a few minor holes in 2010 that might be a cause for some worry in the coming years, but they still have one of the best defenses in the NFL. Their time might be running short though. If Baltimore can start acquiring some younger defensive studs for the great turnover that should be occurring over the next couple of years, they could totally overtake Pittsburgh (and New England, New York, Indianapolis and San Diego as well). I am completely sold by Joe Flacco and Ray Rice, and see them only getting better. Cleveland and Cincinnati both have some decent running games, but that's about it.

AFC South
1. Indianapolis Colts (10-6)
2. Houston Texans (9-7)
3. Tennessee Titans (6-10)
4. Jacksonville Jaguars (5-11)

With this Peyton Manning injury, 2011 might see the beginning of the downfall of the Indianapolis Colts. Without Manning, the Colts are a three or four win team. With Manning, they could potentially win every game they play. However, he's getting up there in age, and the climate of the team is not what it used to be. It hurts me to say that Peyton may never get that second Super Bowl ring. The Houston Texans have been on the up and up for the past two or three years, yet their win-loss record has never really improved. It could finally happen this year, with that killer offense, and the slight improvements they made to an underperforming defense that actually has a lot of talent. In spite of having the best, albeit whiniest, running back in the NFL (Chris Johnson), the Tennessee Titans are pretty much screwed in 2011, and I guess the same could be said of Maurice Jones-Drew and the Jacksonville Jaguars.

AFC West
1. San Diego Chargers (11-5)
2. Kansas City Chiefs (9-7)
3. Oakland Raiders (6-10)
4. Denver Broncos (4-12)

I only have San Diego slotted as the winners of the AFC West out of obligation. Sure, they had both the #1 ranked offense AND defense last year, but, how many games did they? Nine. And, they missed the playoffs. Vincent Jackson returns to form in '11, and that should be a huge help to Philip Rivers and co. I really think the Chargers are quite overrated, and will be rooting hard for the Kansas City Chiefs to repeat as division champs. Matt Cassel gets one more season to prove he's not a fluke, and if he succeeds again in 2011, he's the real deal. The KC running game is the best in the league, and they're defense ain't too shabby. The Oakland Raiders took a huge blow thanks to Nnamdi Asomugha moving on to greener pastures in Philadelphia, but at least Darren McFadden and Michael Bush are proving to be a formidable one-two punch at running back. The Denver Broncos are a complete mess, and it's going to take John Fox several years to get things back in order. There are plenty of players not named Tebow with potential on that team, and it seems like no one in the city of Denver cares about them. Maybe in 2012 Kyle Orton will be tearing it up for a playoff contender.

NFC East
1. Philadelphia Eagles (12-4)
2. Dallas Cowboys (9-7)
3. New York Giants (9-7)
4. Washington Redskins (5-11)

With the exceptional offseason the Philadelphia Eagles had, they all but have the NFC East in the bag. There are so many young studs on offense that Michael Vick should make even better, and the teams pass defense got exponentially better with the acquisations of Nnamdi Asomugha and Dominick Rodgers-Cromartie. The Eagles are arguably the team to beat in the entire NFC. I hate the Dallas Cowboys, and it bums me out to say that their atrocious 2010 season is most likely a fluke. Tony Romo is a stud, and he has a lot of weapons to work with and DeMarcus Ware is one of the greatest defensive players the NFL has seen in years. I'm not exactly sure what to make of the New York Giants. Part of me thinks that that team is loaded and is way better than everyone thinks they are. Their excellent defensive is on its way back, and suddenly they have an extensive passing attack (in spite of Eli Manning's mistakes). As far as I'm concerned, the Washington Redskins have nothing good going for them.

NFC North
1. Green Bay Packers (12-4)
2. Chicago Bears (9-7)
3. Detroit Lions (8-8)
4. Minnesota Vikings (8-8)

Pretty quickly, the NFC North is returning to the glory days of the Black & Blue Division. It is becoming one of the strongest group of teams in the NFL. If it weren't for all the moves that the Eagles have made, the Packers would pretty much have a fast track back to the Super Bowl. No team in the NFC, and maybe even in the entire NFL, is better. There are definitely questions in the team's running game (which I think will be answered once Ryan Grant quickly returns to form), but their passing attack and defenses are easily amongst the best around. It is likely that Jay Cutler and the Chicago Bears overperformed last year, but that doesn't mean they're bad. In fact, with Matt Forte, the addition of drama queen extraordinaire Roy Williams, and Mike Martz running the show, the offense should be even better. And we all know that Chicago defense is usually great. The Detroit Lions are improving by the day. That defense can now be considered top notch, and I don't think Jim Schwartz will stop there. If Calvin Johnson isn't the best wide receiver in the NFL, he's second or third. If Matt Stafford can stay healthy for the entire season he will put up some incredible numbers, I am sure of it. I am not convinced of Jahvid Best yet, but am definitely rooting for him to succeed in this offense. Detroit is already close to contending for a playoff spot, and I'll be shocked if they don't make it in 2012. Now with Donovan McNabb at QB, I think the Minnesota Vikings will be better than everyone is giving them credit for. Adrian Peterson should be the focal point of the offense again now that Brett Favre isn't there, and I think that can only lead to good things. The defense underperformed last year, and I can't imagine Jared Allen and his crew doing that again.

NFC South
1. Atlanta Falcons (12-4)
2. New Orleans Saints (12-4)
3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9-7)
4. Carolina Panthers (3-13)

It's hard to tell who is going to come out on top of the NFC South between Atlanta and New Orleans. Both offenses are incredible, and both got better with excellent picks in the draft (Atlanta picking WR Julio Jones and New Orleans getting a steal with RB Mark Ingram). Both defenses are subpar, and it seems that only Atlanta tried to get better in that department, so that's who I'm going with. However, I see Ingram becoming a franchise running back in New Orleans, which takes a lot of pressure off Drew Brees, which could lead to another Super Bowl run. As good as Matt Ryan is and all those weapons he has between Michael Turner, Roddy White, Tony Gonzalez and now Jones, I just don't think they're ready quite yet. Tampa Bay surprised everyone last year, and I'm not sure why, but I'm sort of buying the hype. For as subtle as Josh Freeman's stats were, when you really take a look at them, they were insane. And, I'm excited about Mike Williams and LaGarrette Blount in that offense. Carolina has two of the most talented running backs in the NFC, and maybe they'll both return to their dominant performances of 2008 and 2009, but that's about the only bright spot on this team. I think Cam Newton will be a bust, and when Steve Smith doesn't have anyone of worth throwing to him, he just disappears. This team is still doomed.

NFC West
1. Arizona Cardinals (8-8)
2. St. Louis Rams (7-9)
3. San Francisco 49ers (6-10)
4. Seattle Seahawks (5-11)

Any of the four teams in the NFC West could win the division crown, but that's not because it's tough and competitive there. It is just that weak. Arizona and St. Louis have half-way decent quarterback situations thanks to Kevin Kolb and Sam Bradford respectively, and while I'm convinced that Bradford will have a successful career in the NFL, Kolb hasn't actually played enough to prove himself, if he's actually as good as everyone seems to think he is. Throwing to Larry Fitzgerald definitely will help, and that's the only reason why I think the Cardinals will be slightly better than the Rams, but still not great. The 49ers have some real talent on defense, and Frank Gore gives them maybe the best running game in the division, but that quarterback situation does not look pretty. The Seahawks made the most moves, and made a lot of improvements in the passing game by adding Sidney Rice and Zach Miller, but who the hell is going to throw to these guys?

POSTSEASON AWARDS

Coach of the Year: Bill Belichick (New England)
Comeback Player of the Year: Albert Haynesworth (DE, New England)
Defensive Rookie of the Year: Patrick Peterson (CB, Arizona)
Offensive Rookie of the Year: Mark Ingram (RB, New Orleans)
Defensive Player of the Year: Clay Matthews (LB, Green Bay)
Offensive Player of the Year: Adrian Peterson (RB, Minnesota)
Most Valuable Player: Aaron Rodgers (QB, Green Bay)

PLAYOFF PREDICTIONS

AFC
1. New England Patriots
2. Pittsburgh Steelers
3. San Diego Chargers
4. Indianapolis Colts
5. Baltimore Ravens
6. New York Jets

NFC
1. Green Bay Packers
2. Philadelphia Eagles
3. Atlanta Falcons
4. Arizona Cardinals
5. New Orleans Saints
6. Dallas Cowboys

AFC Wild Card Round
New York Jets over San Diego Chargers
Baltimore Ravens over Indianapolis Colts

NFC Wild Card Round
Atlanta Falcons over Dallas Cowboys
New Orleans Saints over Arizona Cardinals

AFC Divisional Round
New England Patriots over New York Jets
Pittsburgh Steelers over Baltimore Ravens

NFC Divisional Round
Philadelphia Eagles over Atlanta Falcons
Green Bay Packers over New Orleans Saints

AFC Championship
New England Patriots over Pittsburgh Steelers

NFC Championship
Green Bay Packers over Philadelphia Eagles

Super Bowl XLVI
New England Patriots over Green Bay Packers

Super Bowl XLVI MVP
Tom Brady (QB, New England)